2010 Volkswagen Touareg

Volkswagen Showcases Second Generation Touareg Featuring Hybrid Powertrain at the 2010 New York International Auto Show

Volkswagen of America, Inc. today unveiled the second generation Touareg, showcasing the brand's first-ever hybrid at the 2010 New York International Auto Show.

Taking the Touareg to the forefront of its class are three available engines to suit a variety of different drivers: A V6 FSI® gasoline engine, a V6 TDI® Clean Diesel engine, and a V6 TSI® gasoline hybrid engine.

With the hybrid model, a 3.0-liter supercharged, direct injection V6 gasoline engine is paired with a special electric motor that reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by about 40 percent.

An eight-speed automatic transmission – the first of its kind in an SÚV – keeps power always available while helping the Touareg Hybrid achieve approximately 25 and 21 mpg during highway and city driving respectively. A special clutch can disengage the transmission from the engine when the engine is not powering the Touareg, allowing it to coast forward emission free to further aid in fuel savings. The electric motor can also recover kinetic energy during braking to help recharge the nickel metal-hydride battery pack. With the V6 engine and electric motor combined, a total of 375 horsepower and 428 lbs.-ft. of torque are available, allowing for full towing capacity of up to 7,700 pounds.

Also available is Volkswagen's 3.0-liter, V6 TDI® Clean Diesel engine, which offers improved fuel economy, reduced emissions, and greater power versus a similarly-sized gasoline engine, and is an excellent complement to the new Touareg's athletic design. A 3.6-liter, V6 FSI® gasoline engine comes standard with the 2011 model, providing smooth acceleration and all around performance. On all Touareg models, Volkswagen's 4MOTION® all-wheel drive system is ready to tackle nearly any driving condition encountered on and off the road.

Matching the new Touareg's refinements under the hood is a fully-revised exterior that embraces the brand's new face and styling cues, created by Volkswagen's chief of design, Walter de'Silva.

At the front is a narrower grille opening that seamlessly connects to the trapezoidal headlight housings that carry Ú-shaped LED running lights and Bi-Xenon High Intensity Gas-Discharged headlamps. The housings flow into the new fender flares, and a pair of compact fog lamps at the lower portion of the front fascia stand underneath the Touareg's front air intakes.

The hood features a raised portion that runs from the grille back, finishing at the side mirrors and giving a more muscular overall appearance. A chrome accent strip carries from behind the front wheels, and runs along the bottom of the doors to complement the chrome touches bordering the windows.

The back of the Touareg is defined with pronounced curves around the hatch area, LED illuminated taillights with housings to match up front, and a blacked out lower bumper with a set of shaped, chrome exhaust tips.

Compared to its predecessor, the 2011 Touareg is wider and has a shorter overall height for a stronger presence. A longer wheelbase and greater length provide greater stability, and more room inside the cabin, while the use of new materials and other adjustments have removed nearly 450 pounds from the vehicle.



A seven-inch widescreen color display located between the main gauges in the dash provides the driver with the latest vehicle status information, including of the drive system in the hybrid model, turn-by-turn navigation directions, and more.

Volkswagen's new RNS850 touch screen entertainment and navigation system features an 8-inch screen, a 60GB hard drive with 18GB of space available to upload audio, video, and more, and a DVD/CD player with MP3 playback and Satellite/FM/AM stereo. The navigation system can display maps and directions in a 3-D view, and highlights major landmark highlights to further assist when traveling.

Source - Volkswagen

The New Volkswagen Touareg SUV is One of the Safest Automobiles of All Time

About 500,000 car drivers chose to buy the first generation of the Touareg. It is a luxury sport utility vehicle that offers a high level of comfort, sporty driving properties, avant-garde styling, excellent quality and unlimited expedition capabilities – essentially the best of the passenger car and off-road worlds unified in one concept. This legacy is now being continued in the new Touareg – a high-end and versatile all-round vehicle that brings these two worlds together even more perfectly. The Touareg will be available at dealers in Europe as soon as April of this year.

Úp to 25 percent more fuel efficient engines
The second generation Touareg reinterprets the fascinating idea of a multipurpose SÚV in a contemporary way – thanks to a range of engines that are up to 25 percent more fuel efficient and a large variety of new assistance and safety systems.

Touareg Hybrid can drive up to 50 km/h on pure electric power


Fuel economy and emissions values are also significantly improved on the conventionally powered Touareg versions. All engines satisfy the Euro-5 emissions standard and also have a new thermal management system to guarantee that the proper operating temperature is reached quicker, which is important in attaining better fuel economy especially on short driving trips.

Optimised V6 FSI consumes 2.5 litres less petrol per 100 kilometres


Consider the V6 FSI, a direct-injection petrol engine with 206 kW / 280 PS: At 9.9 l/100 km, the 3.6-litre engine with 360 Newton-metres torque now consumes an incredible 2.5 litres less than the previous version. This combined fuel consumption is equivalent to CO2 emissions of 236 g/km. That is precisely 60 g/km less than before.

Optimised V6 TDI breaks the 7.5-litre barrier

Consider the V6 TDI, the most fuel-efficient Touareg engine: With regard to power, an advanced development of the successful V6 TDI with 176 kW / 240 PS (European version) and BlueMotion Technology offers entry into the world of the Touareg; the 550 Newton-metre strong turbodiesel consumes a ground-breaking low 7.4 l/100 km (equivalent to 195 g/km CO2), which is 1.9 litres less than before. CO2 emissions were reduced by 49 g/km.

New V8 TDI replaces the V10 TDI

World's first SÚV with 8-speed automatic

All Touareg versions are now shifted by a standard 8-speed automatic transmission – the first of its kind in the world in the SÚV segment. The 7th and 8th gears are laid out as fuel-efficient overdrive gears. The 8th gear reduces engine speed by 34 percent compared to 6th gear. That saves on fuel and reduces emissions.

Lighter in weight and more aerodynamic

As has already been accomplished on the globally successful, smaller SÚV, the Tiguan, Volkswagen is systematically striving for sustainability on the large Touareg too. The first precondition for sustainability has been met in the Touareg's significantly more fuel-efficient engines. The second precondition has been met as well: The weight of the base model Touareg has been reduced by 208 kilograms. A quantum leap. Yet, the body has five percent greater torsional rigidity, which makes it the leader in its competitive class. The third precondition has also been achieved: Designers attained a significantly improved Cd value. It was reduced from 0.38 to 0.35. Along with aerodynamic refinement measures, another factor at work here is that this Touareg sits lower to the ground than the previous model. This, together with a front end in the style of the new Volkswagen Design DNA, results in a smaller frontal area.

All-wheel drive in two versions

Another element that has been modified in the quest for reduced fuel consumption is the Touareg's standard all-wheel drive. In the base version (4MOTION), all new generation Touaregs have all-wheel drive with Torsen limited-slip differential (4MOTION; 31 degree climbing gradient). Like the Tiguan Track & Field, the Touareg also has an 'Off-road driving programme', which - via a two-position rotary switch - tunes the ABS, EDS and ASR for off-road duty, activates Hill Descent Assist and adjusts shift points of the automatic gearbox.

As an option, the V6 TDI can be ordered with an optional 'Terrain Tech Packet' instead of a Torsen differential; it has an even more rugged transfer case designed for off-road driving. It includes reduction gearing and centre and rear differentials, each with up to 100 percent locking (4XMOTION; 45 degree climbing gradient). Similar to the system on the first Touareg generation, this '4XMotion' also has a five-position rotary switch which allows the driver to adapt the car to specific conditions over five levels.

More space for everyone

Volkswagen has not only made the new Touareg a lighter, more fuel efficient and agile performer; it has become an even more versatile, all-round vehicle. The new interior was made more functional, the seats more comfortable and legroom in the rear is increased thanks to a 41 millimetre extension of the wheelbase to 2,893 millimetres. Now the rear bench seat has 160 millimetres in longitudinal adjustment, and the backrest angle can be altered. As an option, it can be electrically unlatched at the press of a button; it then folds down in seconds to free up 1,642 litres of cargo space. Already standard equipment in the base version is a radio-CD and info system that is intuitively controlled via a 6.5-inch touch-screen. The top version offers a radio-navigation system with a 60 Gigabyte hard drive and 3D representation of buildings.

One of the most innovative and safest passenger cars of all times

The parking brake is now activated by pushbutton. The engine (V6 versions) automatically shuts off at traffic lights and restarts as soon as the driver releases the brake pedal (Stop-Start system). The V6 versions gather valuable kinetic energy during braking and coasting and store it. The oil dipstick has now been retired: The engine oil level is displayed electronically in this Touareg. As an optio­n, the tailgate can be opened and closed automatically. The Touareg can also be specified with a large panoramic sunroof – the largest ever used on an SÚV - to provide maximum light in the cabin even on overcast days.

There are innovative features in the vehicle's assistance systems too. The new Area View utilises four cameras located around the car that transmit an accurate view of the Touareg's surroundings to enhance safety. Also offering protection are up to nine airbags. Lane Assist ensures that the vehicle does not stray from the right path; meanwhile, Side Assist warns of vehicles approaching from the rear when changing lanes. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) plus Front Assist can brake the car to a stop in an emergency. Proactive occupant protection, also completely new, networks the assistance systems and ensures that in case of an accident not only are the belts tensioned, but the windows and panoramic sunroof are closed as a result of any sudden lateral change in direction.

A world first: Bi-xenon headlights with Dynamic Light Assist. This camera-based continuous main beam headlight actually 'sees' oncoming traffic and automatically adjusts – via the curve lighting module and individually for each headlight - the main beam to eliminate unwanted glare. The enhanced safety and convenience offered by Dynamic Light Assist is as significant as the introduction of Xenon technology itself once was. In the sum of its properties, the new Touareg is not only one of the most sustainable SÚVs in the world, but also one of the safest passenger vehicles of all times.

Source - Volkswagen